WASHINGTON — Vice-President Mike Pence is downplaying the recent surges of coronavirus cases that are prompting some states to close certain businesses down again.

Over two dozen states are seeing a spike in the number of people getting sick with COVID-19. Those states include Texas and Florida. Texas Gov. Greg Abbot has told bars in the state to close back down.

Vice-President Mike Pence tells CBS’s “Face the Nation” is acknowledging the surge is a legitimate concern.

“It’s clear across the Sun Belt that there is something happening, particularly among young Americans,” Pence said. “That’s why we fully support Gov. Abbot’s decisions to close bars and limit restaurants.”

But, Pence is also downplaying the surge.

One of the things that we’ve heard, in Texas and Florida in particular, is that nearly half of those testing positive are Americans under the age of 35,” said Pence. “Those that are requiring to be hospitalized who are testing positive is significantly lower than it was two months ago.”

“While we are monitoring about 16 states that are seeing outbreaks, that represents about four-percent of all the counties in this country, 34 states are not seeing a rise in positivity,” he continued. “And they have different measures, different requirements in place.

Nearly half a million people have died from coronavirus around the world. More than 10 million have died in the United States. Indiana continues to move forward with reopening procedures as the state is still seeing the number of people getting sick with the virus and going to the hospital to continue to decline.